Roger I, Comte de Laon

The Vexin House as a lineage, appeared at the end of the ix th  century, from the Count Raoul I st of Vexin . He died in 1080. The origin of this family is not known, but probably of high lineage, since the mother of the first known member would be a descendant of Louis the Pious .

The first count, Raoul 1er is the son of a Heilwis, or Helvide, who remarries in second marriage to the count Roger I er of Laon . This Heilwis is traditionally identified with Heilwis of Frioul, daughter of Eberhard , Marquis of Frioul and of the Carolingian Gisèle . But this identification poses a chronological problem, because born before 850, she would have had at least two children from 895 , which is unlikely.

Another hypothesis has been put forward: Helwis, wife of Roger de Laon, would be the daughter of Hucbald de Gouy and Heilwis de Frioul. Her first husband would be Gautier de Laon , which would explain the appearance of the first name of Gautier among the counts of Vexin.

It is this hypothesis that was used in the reconstruction of this branch of the House of Vexin on Geni. The basis of this reconstruction is onomastics, which is “the study of the history and origin of proper names, especially personal names.” Leading experts Katherine Keats-Rohan and Christian Settipani et. al. have contributed both to this new aspect of genealogical study but also through their studies specifically to this part of “the big tree”. Their work for use in this reconstruction is extracted from https://fr.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maison_de_Vexin but refer for details to their original work Onomastique et Parenté dans l'Occident médiéval, Oxford, Linacre College, Unit for Prosopographical Research, coll. « Prosopographica et Genealogica / 3 », 2000, 310 p. (ISBN 1-900934-01-9)

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From French Wikipedia

Roger I st of Laon

Roger I first died in 926 , was Count of Laon at the beginning of the x th century . His family origin is not known, but onomastics suggests a close kinship of the Hugonides family , from Count Roger du Maine († 900), who could be his uncle. He would be brother of Hugues († 900-6), count of Bassigny, who is the son of a Hugues cited in 881.

We do not know on what date he received the county of Laon, perhaps from the execution of Count Gautier de Laon , in 892 , whose widow he had perhaps married.

In 922, the Marquis Robertian Robert I first rebelled against King Charles the Simple and proclaimed himself king. In the spring of 922, the city of Laon was besieged and taken.

It is cited in 923 , when Count Herbert II de Vermandois occupied Rémois. Worried about this rising power, the local barons, including Roger, called on King Raoul to help them. Raoul put a momentary end to Herbert's ambitions, but gave him the city of Péronne , because the latter kept in his jails King Charles III the Simple who could thus arouse at any time an opponent to Raoul. Roger died three years later.

After 890, he married Heilwide Friuli, count the widow Hucbald of Ostrevent and mother of Raoul I st of Vexin . From her marriage to Roger, she gave birth to Roger II († 942), count of Laon, and probably another son, who was the father of Hugues († 977), bishop of Beauvais .

Traditionally, this Heilwide is considered a daughter of Eberhard , Marquis de Frioul, and Gisèle , and therefore widow of Hucbald de Gouy , Count of Ostrevent and Senlis. But that would mean that born before 850-855 [ 1 ] , she would have had Roger II at the age of at least 40, which is possible, but unlikely. With this timeline, Roger I st was born later than 855-860, making him 70 years old in 926 to his death in full operation, also rather implausible solution [ 2 ] .

Also another identification is proposed: Helvide, Roger's wife would be the daughter of Hucbald de Gouy and Helvide du Frioul. The first husband of this Helvide would Gautier († 892), count of Laon, which would be the father of Raoul I st of Vexin , which probably had a son named Gautier .

Notes and references

↑ Gisèle, Heilwide mother was born around 819-822, so she can no longer be a mother around 860 and Heilvide has two younger sisters ( Settipani 1993 , p. 312, note 819). ↑ Settipani 1993 , p. 312, note 819.

Sources

Christian Settipani , “The viscounts of Châteaudun and their allies”, in Onomastique et Kinship in the Medieval West , Oxford, Linacre College, Unit for Prosopographical Research, coll. "Prosopographica and Genealogica / 3",2000, 310 p. ( ISBN 1-900934-01-9 ) , p. 247-261

Christian Settipani , La Préhistoire des Capétiens ( New genealogical history of the august house of France , vol. 1) , Villeneuve-d'Ascq, ed. Patrick van Kerrebrouck,1993, 545 p. ( ISBN 978-2-95015-093-6 ) , p. 312

Foundation for Medieval Genealogy Counts of Laon and Basigny

Ph. Lauer, Robert I and Raoul of Burgundy, kings of France (923-936)

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From fmgMedlands

ROGER [I] (-926). Comte de Laon. Flodoard records the death of "Rodulfus comes, filius Heilwidis" and "non multo post etiam Rotgarius, vitricus eius, comes Laudunensis pagi" in 926[4]. m HELVIDE, daughter of ---. According to Europäische Stammtafeln[5], she was Heilwig di Friulia, widow of Hucbald Comte [d'Ostrevent]. daughter of Eberhard Duke of the March of Friulia [Unruochingi] & his wife Gisela [Carolingian], although another table in Europäische Stammtafeln only names the wife of Comte Roger as "Helvide" but does not give her origin[6]. Her first marriage is proved by the Chronicle of Alberic de Trois-Fontaines which names "Hucbaldus de Hainacq" as "huius [=abbas Rodulfus] sororius"[7]. Comte Roger [I] & his wife had [two or more] children:

a) ROGER [II] (-942). Flodoard records in 927 that Raoul King of France disputed "Laudunensi comitatu" with "Heribertum comitem" and that the king granted it to "cuidam filiorum Rotgarii…Rotgario"[8]. Flodoard records that Hugues "le Grand" captured "Duvagium" [Douai] from the Lotharingians and granted it to "Rotgario filio Rotgarii" in 931[9]. Comte de Laon 926, expelled 931. Flodoard records that "Arnulpho, filio Balduini" captured "Moritania, munitio filiorum Rotgarii" [Mortagne] in 931[10]. Comte de Douai 931. Flodoard records that "Rotgarius comes" was expelled by "rege Lodovico" and that "Duagium castellum" was returned to "Arnoldo" in 941 but that "Arnoldum cum Landrico fratre ipsius" were later expelled from the castle by the king[11]. Comte de Bassigny 941. m ---. The primary source which confirms the identity of Roger’s wife has not been identified. Comte Roger [II] & his wife had one child:

i) HUGUES (-25 Aug 961, bur Reims Saint-Rémi). Comte de Bassigny. The necrology of Reims Saint-Rémi records the death "VIII Kal Sep" of "Hugo filius Rogeri comitis"[12]. - COMTES de BASSIGNY.

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